Thousands evacuated as rare December typhoon expected to bring heavy rains to Philippines

Typhoon Kammuri, known locally as Tisoy, is expected to strengthen to the equivalent of a Category 3 hurricane by Tuesday morning Philippine time and make landfall in southeastern Luzon, the country's largest and most populous island. Authorities in the Albay province began evacuating 100,000 people in anticipation of the storm, according to the government-run Philippines News Agency (PNA).

"We have to evacuate them and for those (residents) who are stubborn, I have directed the police to forcibly bring them to the nearest evacuation camps," Albay Governor Al Francis Bichara said, PNA reported.

The storm is currently packing winds of 150 kilometers per hour (93 miles per hour), but those are expected to speed up to 185 kph (115 mph). Southern Luzon is forecast to receive 20 to 30 centimeters of rain (8-12 inches), which will bring a risk of flash flooding and mudslides. Top wind gusts could hit 200 kph (124 mph).

Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal Number 3 -- out of the country's domestic five-level scale -- has been raised by authorities in several parts of the Philippines, while Signal No. 2 has been raised in Metro Manila.

Kammuri has already forced schools across the region to close Monday, according to CNN Philippines. Philippines-based airline Cebu Pacific has canceled a number of flights.

There are also concerns that the storm could affect the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, a biennial regional athletic competition that the Philippines is hosting. The games, which formally began Saturday, is expected to feature more than 8,000 athletes from 11 participating nations.

December typically marks the end of the typhoon season in the Philippines, so while it's rare for the country to be hit by powerful storms this late in the season, it's not unheard of.

CNN's Robert Shackelford and Brandon Miller contributed reporting

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